Past Event

Steamboat Springs  An army of tiny animals bowing down before a bright yellow sun god. A pair of young lovers holding hands against a crimson background. Goldfish swimming among the clouds.

These are just a few of the many scenes to come out of Vero Khan’s mind and find their way to a formerly blank surface via her paintbrush. This weekend will be the first time the local artist will get the chance to bring her work to a wider audience, and she’s looking forward to it.

Khan’s paintings will be on display at massage business Kneading Hands from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturdayas part of an art reception.

Khan said her style leans toward the psychedelic and abstract, but she doesn’t limit herself to one kind of form. Many of her paintings have a surreal, Salvador Dali quality to them.

“He’s definitely one of my inspirations,” she said.

Khan briefly studied graphic design at the University of Kansas before moving to Steamboat, but painting and drawing have been part of her life since age 10. Now 25, creating something on canvas is her favorite way to spend time.

“I like seeing how things turn out, the organic process of it,” she said. “I don’t necessarily sit down and paint a group of aspen trees like a plein-air painter would; it’s just whatever comes into my head.”

The majority of Khan’s pieces are unnamed, and only a select few will be on display. She will have at least five of her paintings — including “Worship,” the aforementioned depiction of a golden deity — as well as a number of prints from past works.

“I’ve got a stack of canvases in my car that I just decided weren’t done yet,” she said. “Some of them, I’ve already sold, but people will be able to get the prints of those.”

The space of Kneading Hands is small but cozy and inviting for crowds interested in checking out Khan’s work. Since opening in the location in 2011, owner Ali Boehm has hosted several similar events for local artists and craftspeople. During the reception, she also will feature a display of clothing from Rita Cherry Designs, of Eldorado Springs, the designer of which also will be present Saturday.

Boehm said she hopes staging the reception will help artists like Khan get a start in their careers.

“Maybe after this, she’ll be able to go to one of the bigger galleries in town,” Boehm said.

Khan said she’d like to continue to show her works around town in the future, but having a space like Kneading Hands is already “a step up.”

“It’s great to have the exposure and get the attention, and maybe it’ll even inspire me to paint more,” she said.

Khan added that her painting is mostly a hobby, though she’d like to do it more seriously.

“I think I just need more confidence before I do it all the time,” she said. “I work a 9-to-5 office job, so right now, painting just keeps me from going crazy.”